Uranium Mining in Virginia
Keep the ban
In a major victory for SELC and other conservation groups in Virginia, the General Assembly has rejected a proposal to study the environmental and health impacts of mining uranium in Virginia, likely putting the issue off for a year. The proposed bill left too many questions about how a study would be conducted – including where funding would come from – and how state officials would proceed once a study was completed.
©SELC
The safety of drinking water supplies is a key concern about the impact of mining uranium in Virginia.
The study bill was introduced by supporters of Virginia Uranium, Inc., which is seeking to mine the radioactive ore in Pittsylvania County from what is thought to be the largest untapped uranium deposit in the U.S. The company went public with its plans in the fall of 2007, but the legislature had only since early January 2008 to consider the details of how a scientific study would be conducted. Due to the unique nature of uranium mining, and the enduring environmental impacts, it is critically important that a study be carefully developed and not fast-tracked.
SELC worked diligently with several groups, including Southside Concerned Citizens, to oppose the bill as it was written. We succeeded in securing several major improvements to the bill in the Senate, including ensuring that any study done under the auspices of the legislature would be conducted by an outside, independent entity such as the National Academy of Sciences, and that it would look at the issue on a statewide basis.
Although the Senate passed a bill with these stronger measures, we continued to oppose it in the House due to several key flaws. On March 3, a House committee voted to table the measure, effectively killing it for this year’s session.
The mining company and its legislative supporters have indicated their intent to bring the issue back to the General Assembly in 2009. SELC will continue to work with the Southside Concerned Citizens and others to educate Virginia’s citizens and lawmakers about the need to proceed with utmost caution in deciding whether mining uranium in Virginia can be done safely. Until then, the moratorium put in place 25 years ago must remain.
